


Rock Collection

by Scriptor_Bellum



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Gen, bad choices, more tags will be added as I add more things!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-07-08 03:40:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19862908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scriptor_Bellum/pseuds/Scriptor_Bellum
Summary: A bunch of mostly unconnected but sometimes connected Steven Universe fics and ficlets.Heavily featuring OCs both romantically and platonically!Ch 1: Lazurite thinks she's condemned one of her daughters to death. There is no good choice here.





	1. Distance

**Author's Note:**

> So! My friend and I have a personal headcanon within SU regarding Gems. The most perfect Gems of each type head up the production and development of their Gem type, and these Gems are called Matrons. Thousands to tens of thousands of years old, many of them think of the Gems they create as daughters, and in turn, their Gems think of them as mentors and mothers.
> 
> This fic deals with the Lapis Lazuli Matron, Lazurite, and the way she lost one of her daughters for thousands of years during the Rebellion.
> 
> The other Lapis Lazulis are named after various varieties of the gemstone lapis, and Pigeon is named for the Pigeon's Blood variety of ruby!

When Lazurite boards the ship with her daughters, she holds them close and whispers reassurances to keep them calm. They’re all terrified, not that she blames them. She’s seen battle before herself, but nobody was prepared to have this sprung on them. They all just barely escaped getting caught up in everything. One of the Lazulis has a scratch on her leg from tripping over her feet as they ran to safety.

The Matron wonders, in passing, whether or not Royal Sapphire saw this future.

If she did, she would have warned Lazurite not to take her Gems to Earth.

As her daughters huddle around her seeking solace, Lazurite’s eyes roam over them all to do a sort of head count. She brought five Lapis Lazulis with her to work on this particular terraforming project. Her eyes land on each of them in turn and she silently checks them off. Denim, Sky, Persian, Nocturne, and…

“Oh, stars, no.” Her eyes widen, searching frantically for her last child. The only others aboard the ship are Lazurite’s pilot, Pigeon, and her Citrine guards. “Lapis! No, no, no…” She turns her gaze back to her daughters, holding them close. “Gems! Did anyone see Lapis?!”

All her daughters share a look of concern, before Nocturne speaks up. “S-she wandered off, Lazurite… I saw her taking a few steps off toward his grassy area, then the battle started and I lost sight of her…”

“It’s not like she went that far!” Sky adds. “Y-you didn’t see her over there?”

If Lazurite had a heart, it would drop into her stomach. She was so distracted with getting her daughters back to the ship when the battle started – so none of them got hurt – could she really have not seen one of them? For stars’ sake, she only brought five with her! How does a Matron lose a Gem when she only has five to keep track of?!

There’s nobody else on the ship. Lapis is still on Earth. She has to be.

Everything moves simultaneously in slow motion and far too fast as Lazurite wrenches herself from her daughters. She stumbles toward the console, grabbing the back of Pigeon’s chair. “Pigeon! We have to go back to Earth! Lapis got separated from us! She’s still down there!”

“Negative, Your Radiance.” Although the Ruby looks as if it pains her to say it, she says it all the same. “I have to get you back to Homeworld. Blue Diamond’s orders were that once we were in the air, we weren’t to go back. I’m sorry. Even if I didn’t have those orders… we can’t go back. I won’t put you and the other Lazulis in harm’s way.”

“But she can’t fight!” Lazurite wills her wings into existence, gathering water with the express purpose of knocking the little red Gem out of her seat. If she has to fly this damn thing back down to save Lapis herself, she will. “She hasn’t been through any combat training!” Tears prick at her eyes when an image of her poor daughter lying on the ground in shards comes unbidden to her mind. She’s still so young, her life has barely begun, and she deserves better than to be shattered on some alien planet without anyone to help her. “If we don’t go back, _she’s going to_ _ **DIE**_ _down there!_ ”

The other Lazulis immediately hold onto each other with a cry of despair. It occurs to Lazurite that maybe she shouldn’t have worded it like that, but it’s a very real possibility. Despite the immense power the Lapis Lazulis possess, they aren’t  _made_ to fight. The combat training she puts them through ‘just in case’ is something Lapis hasn’t even touched on yet. A Gem who knows next to nothing about fighting is down there, alone, in the middle of a war.

If someone doesn’t help her, she’s going to be shattered.

Pigeon tenses up. “… I’m sorry, ma’am. Do you really want to defy an order from Our Diamond?”

“I don’t _want_ to,” she grinds out through clenched teeth, “but if that’s what I have to do to make sure Lapis is safe, then I’ll do it!” The words are traitorous, and they taste like poison, and she knows she can trust everyone present not to tell Her Luminescence that they’ve even been uttered. Blue Diamond knows better than anyone that she’d do anything for her family.

Pigeon keeps going, though. “Would you really risk your own safety to go back down there and get her?”

“What kind of a stupid Ruby question is that?! Of course I would!” Lazurite almost feels insulted that she’s being asked something so obvious. As if her answer would be anything but ‘yes’.

“What about the safety of the rest of your daughters?!” Pigeon’s voice gets strained and angry, and it’s such an inappropriate tone to take with a Matron that Lazurite almost blasts her to the side right then. “You’ve got four other scared Gems here who are depending on you to keep them safe! Not to mention if we go back, we’ll distract the other ships, which could compromise the entire fleet! Upwards of a hundred Gems, ma’am! Are you really gonna risk getting your daughters and all these others caught up in that battle to save _one Gem?!_ ”

The only thing that stops Lazurite from pushing the Ruby away from the controls is that her words sink in.

She can’t believe she’s even internally admitting that Pigeon is right. If she goes back down there, she might be able to save Lapis, but she’d be taking a gamble on keeping Sky, Nocturne, Persian, and Denim safe. She’d be putting the entire rest of the fleet in peril. Not only is that irresponsible, and would be a horrible loss if all those Gems were to be shattered… Lazurite could be tried as a traitor for that.

It’s half selfish and half not. It isn’t  _fair_ to leave Lapis behind. She’s condemning her daughter to death.

But if she goes back, she’d be condemning even more Gems to death, including the rest of her daughters.

There is no good decision here.

Lazurite feels like a monster when her hand slips off of Pigeon’s chair.

She  _could_ fight  this . She  _should_ fight  this . Lapis shouldn’t have to die alone without anyone even trying to save her.

Her tears spill over, making the gold freckles on her cheeks glitter.

The four Lazulis hurry over to her, surrounding her even though they think it’s unfair too.

They want their sister back.

Their mother shouldn’t have to be forced to make this choice.

Their sister shouldn’t spend the last moments of her life feeling like they all abandoned her.

This isn’t fair.

“… I’m sorry, Lapis… _I’m sorry…_ ”


	2. For the Times, They Are A-Changin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A formerly stubborn Gem quietly celebrates Homeworld's changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Matron-centric fic! This time the Matron in question is Rhodolite Garnet. Upon having our Garnet show up, Rhodolite, a proud Gem with a complex regarding fusion, put her through tests to "prove" that she was a real Garnet. Rhodolite was expecting Garnet to fail, which meant she was just another fusion trying to attain status without putting in the work.
> 
> Of course, Garnet aced every single test, forcing Rhodolite to re-examine her long-held views and beliefs.
> 
> She's still learning, but Rhodolite has made tremendous steps toward becoming a more relaxed, tolerant person -- including embracing Garnet as her daughter and becoming one of the driving forces behind Homeworld's changes as a whole.

Watching Rhodolite Garnet put on her own cape instead of doing it for her is still strange to Bordeaux Pearl.  She’s not sure if she’ll ever get used to the sight.

Moreover, the way her relationship with her former owner has evolved is a lot to take in. Ever since Homeworld passed new laws to grant them all full Gemship and freedom, like a lot of Pearls, she chose to stay with her mistress simply because it’s what she knows. It’s where she’s comfortable. Leaving and trying to start a new life – the very thought unsettles her. She enjoys the fact that she can now express her thoughts without inhibition and form true opinions, but until she learns that she’s someone different, she’s happy by Rhodolite’s side.

Rhodolite, on the other hand, relishes the way that Gemkind’s paradigm is shifting. It never occurred to her that as a proud Gem, the idea of having someone else do things for her that she was perfectly capable of doing should have been an insult. That was exactly what her Pearl had done for her all these millennia. Doing small things herself brought her a sensation of independence she’d never known was possible before.

The changes their race are going through now have left her feeling more peaceful than she ever has in her life. She can’t remember the last time she felt so light without the weight of their rules on her shoulders. She can relax. Her daughters can relax. It’s liberating.

“Well, Bordeaux.” Rhodolite briefly adjusts her outfit, proudly displaying her gem. “I’m going for a walk down in the streets. I want to see how Tsavorite is doing with that navigation center of hers she’s trying to get running. Are you going to be accompanying me today, or would you rather stay here?”

It’s a choice neither of them would have given much thought up until recently. It’s not an order of, _Pearl, come with me,_ or, _Pearl, stay here._ Regardless of what Bordeaux says, she won’t be punished.

Smoothing her skirt down, Bordeaux gave her mistress a genuine smile. “I think I would love to join you, My Radiance.”

Rhodolite nods, and within seconds, they are down in the streets among all the other mixing Gems.

Down here, the various throngs create a swirling mass of rainbow colors now that they’re no longer separated by class or color. It’s never the same, which is what makes it so wonderful. Excitement buzzes all around them and inside them as they witness how their world looks today. Despite the fact that they don’t have to be afraid of not showing proper respect for a Matron, many Gems smile or bow or greet Rhodolite with royal titles anyway.

Everything is so unlike it used to be. As the two of them walk together, she sees things she never would have seen in past eras here.

There’s a Prasiolite and a Carnelian both dressed in fine clothing, modeling for a Ruby who’s drawing them. Gems lean over her shoulder to offer compliments as she works while some others fawn over how beautiful the two former soldiers look.

There’s a Bismuth and a Peridot inside what looks like a small forge shop, where the Bismuth seems to be teaching the smaller Gem how to work metal. The Peridot looks a little unsure, but there’s a smile on her face, and the taller Gem is clearly happy to be passing on her knowledge to someone who wants to learn.

When Rhodolite goes a little further down, she sees a Sapphire who’s wearing clothes that don’t restrict her movement, and she’s sparring with a much larger Faden Quartz. What’s more, despite being smaller and thought of as a fragile Gem type, the Sapphire appears to be kicking the Quartz’s butt.

Even further, and there’s a small crowd gathered watching something. She approaches with Bordeaux trailing behind her – only to see that the spectacle is apparently two Gems attempting to fuse. An Agate and a Pearl stand in the middle of the crowd. One set of their hands are clasped, with the Agate’s other arm wrapped around the Pearl’s waist and the Pearl’s other arm clinging to the Agate’s shoulder.

“Oh, oh…” The Pearl quickly pulls her legs back just in time for the Agate to stomp the ground where they would have been. When she speaks, her voice is underlain with giggles. “I-Iris! You almost stepped on my foot!”

A squeak comes from the other Gem that’s very un-Agate-ish. “I’m – I’m sorry, Mystic! I don’t really know what I’m doing… should we stop?”

“No, no, no! It’s okay. It’s… it’s okay. I mean, I don’t know what I’m doing any more than you do. Okay, deep breaths. Come on, maybe if we go a little slower…”

“Okay… let’s try this again.”

Rhodolite’s eyes are glued to the scene as the two Gems start to move again. The Agate seems as though she’s calmed by what the Pearl is saying, and the two of them sway in sync. It’s like watching water crash on a beach in slow motion. They move a little awkwardly, but the emotion beneath it is graceful and in its purest form. The Matron is struck with the fact that she’s witnessing something take place that’s part of their changing empire.

Everyone is coming to realize that fusion isn’t appalling, or a shortcut, or nothing but a battle tactic. Rhodolite is among those who have been stubborn, and although she has a long way to go still, she began to change before Homeworld as a whole did. Her perma-fusion daughter is the biggest reason why she can see the beauty in this.

These two Gems trying to fuse, openly, unashamed of who they are and what they’re trying to become, remind her of Garnet.

There’s something between them that has been mostly lost to Homeworld until now. It’s elegant and raw and more powerful than any Gem who was created or has yet to be created could ever hope to be. It’s illogical and wild. It’s incomprehensible.

It’s love.

Rhodolite has been staring and twined up in her thoughts for so long that she nearly misses the climax of their dance. They melt into each other for a few seconds, a glowing ball of white-hot light that half-blinds her soul. It only lasts for a brief time, because suddenly both Gems are back in their forms, falling to the ground. The Pearl lands on top of the Agate, but after all’s said and done, they’re both lying flat on the street.

The sight causes several Gems to drift away from the crowd with grumbles of disappointment, and Rhodolite winces in sympathy. Not only did that have to hurt, it also couldn’t have been a great emotional experience to break apart before you’ve even fused.

The Pearl’s and Agate’s reactions surprise her, though. They look at each other, blinking wide-eyed and silent, before bursting into laughter. The Pearl snorts, which makes the Agate roar twice as loud. “Oh, stars, what are we even doing?” She scoops the Pearl up in her arms and gets them both to their feet. “You wanna try again?”

“I do…” The Pearl’s face flushes a deeper color as she reaches to take the Agate’s hand again. “Do you want to?”

“Yeah, as long as you want to.”

Several Gems around them start to give them encouragement. Calls of things like, _“You can do it!”_ and _“_ _Go on, try again, guys!”_ follow Rhodolite as she strolls past the two of them. Both the Pearl and the Agate pause as she walks by, looking at her as if they think they’ll be punished.

She doesn’t blame them. Even among the previous Homeworld’s disdain for fusion, she had a reputation for being absolutely intolerant of it.

That said, she doesn’t stop walking. She gives the two a gentle smile and a nod of acknowledgment, and that’s it. They look relieved, even smiling back at her and wishing her a good day before they focus their attention back on each other.

“Would you look at that!” Bordeaux exclaims as she catches up to her former mistress. Though she’s back with Rhodolite, her eyes linger on the couple who are trying once again to fuse. She remembers what her mistress thought of fusion before. She remembers explaining to Garnet why. She can’t help but think about what it might be like to fuse like that. The way Garnet is fused and the way those two are trying to fuse seems wonderful. “They look so… so happy.”

All she or Rhodolite can do is wonder. Despite the fact that Rhodolite can recall being fused once or twice for battle, it’s not the way Garnet is. It’s only one facet of the experience that fusion is supposed to be.

Rhodolite can still hear those two Gems laughing while attempting to fuse long after they’ve faded out of view.

Her mouth quirks into a genuine smile, and she glances back at her companion.

“They do, don’t they?”

_I can’t wait to see you again, Garnet._


End file.
